Gardeners' Dirt: Your guide to Saturday's plant sale

By Roy Cook - Victoria County Master Gardener
March 22, 2012 at midnightUpdated March 22, 2012 at 10:23 p.m.

The annual pink begonia plant can be found in the annual and perennial section at the sale. Notice the blooms peaking out from the lush green foliage. Best grown in partial shade, the begonia can grow to about 12 inches tall.

Lunch and Learn with the Masters

When: MondayWhere: Pattie Dodson Health Center, 2805 N. Navarro St.Cost: Free to the publicTime: Noon-1 p.m.What: Victoria County Master Gardener Charlie Neumeyer will present a program titled "Turf and Other Options for Shady Areas." Bring your lunch and drink Special Notice: An additional "Lunch and Learn with the Masters" program has been added on Monday, April 23. Victoria County Master Gardener Gerald Bludau will present a program on wildflowers.

Tomorrow is the Victoria County Master Gardener spring plant sale at the Victoria Education Garden's Pavilion, located at Victoria Regional Airport, 283 Bachelor Drive. The VEG Pavilion is across from the airport tower next to Victoria Educational Gardens. Be early, as there is a limited number of some plants. Doors open 8 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. or until sold out.

Available from various sources

Since last year's drought, it has been a struggle keeping plants alive, growing and healthy for our faithful customers.

Our plants are grown from seeds, cuttings, by division and other means of propagation. Some plants that we are not allowed to propagate are purchased from reputable growers and nurseries so that we can provide you with both old-time varieties as well as new ones.

Highlighted plants and more

We always try to have those plants that we indicate will be at the sale although it always depends on availability. We highlight a few that we know we can count on and do our best on providing the others we mention in our articles.

Small plants and vegetables - Some other small, but healthy plants, we should have available are Texas star hibiscus red, Texas star hibiscus white, single white datura, double purple/white datura and double yellow datura. These plants were started from seed and are reasonably priced. With the spring gardening season here, stop by for your peppers and tomatoes including California wonder pepper, jalapeno pepper, black pearl ornamental pepper, and tomato varieties homestead-24, beefsteak, German giant, large red cherry, roma, Brandywine, Old German, Abe Lincoln and mortgage lifter. Notice we are featuring tomato varieties that are typically hard to find. If you are interested in butterflies and hummingbirds, we will have numerous plants that attract them. Just ask any Master Gardener working the floor, and he or she will show them to you.

Others you may like to have - If you did not see something in the above listings, come on out and look around, you may be surprised and see plants you might like to have. Some are not listed because Master Gardeners propagate them at home, properly care for them, label them and include growing instructions and bring them to the plant sale. If you have questions or problems, there will be Master Gardeners available to help you out.

Customer service

All plants offered for sale meet a quality standard set by the Master Gardeners.

Each plant is also checked to make sure it is properly labeled so that the buyer has the information to grow and take care of the plant.

All plants are arranged by type such as annuals, perennials, shrubs, fruit, vegetable, herbs, succulents and so on - to help make it easier for you to shop.

Trays and boxes are provided to you to take your plants home as well as assistance to your vehicle if necessary. And, of course, if you have any ideas on how to improve or make our plant sales better, we welcome the suggestions.

Proceeds from plant sales go to the maintenance and upkeep of the VEG Pavilion and Victoria Educational Gardens. Go to the airport and follow the signs. See you tomorrow at the sale.

The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.